Tag Archives: “nichelle stephens”

New Podcast: It’s Nichelle With An N

I have dabbled in podcasting off and on for years. I used to use a digital recorder, upload a file and then use some podcasting software to compress to upload to my blog. I have used Odeo’s AudioBlogger, Audioboo, and now I am using Soundcloud. In addition, I have been a guest on a few podcasts, and co-hosted amTWib for three months back in 2013.

So I have done three podcasts so far and you can listen to them.

Nuance, Nostalgia, New Chapter

Shorter blog post: I left Brooklyn because I couldn’t afford it. I was afraid that I would be a bag lady. That fear and high likelihood it could happen was stressing me the fuck out.

Longer Blog Post:
I don’t navel-gaze. It may be good for self reflection or my core but I probably have lint in my belly button so that’s kinda gross.

People are so not naive to think that the world is black and white, but they act that as if it were because nuance fucks them up.
Similarly, I can’t decide if I more left-brained or right-brained. The lack of nuance seems to have made my career all topsy turvy.
I have been writing creatively since I was a kid. I wrote poems and stories since I was about ten years old. However, I was also good at math and science. I like baking. I like physics. I tend to recite one of Newton’s laws as it applies to everyday life. A body in motion will remain in motion…

I have been in constant motion living here in New York for over a decade. It’s been fun and inspiring. It has been heartbreaking and frustrating. Being always on the precipice of an arbitrary measure of success has kept my stomach in knots.

Although I took psychology in college, I didn’t fully understand cognitive dissonance until I read “The Souls Of Black Folks” by DuBois while living here in New York. My goal became to manage the dissonance. I also read Florence Scovel Shinn’s “The Game Of Life and How To Play It ” and I took to repeating the affirmation, “I have elegant and perfect timing. I am at exactly the right place at exactly the right time.” Sometimes that helped me to be patient and present.

I am going to get all “LCD Soundsystem” for a moment and say I was there for Deep Dish Cabaret in a dance studio,Gothamist happy hours at The Magician and Jinx Debates at Nolita Bar. I miss WYSIWYG, Chicks and Giggles and Tainted Lady Lounge. The good old days were not always great, but had perfect timing.

One of the tag lines of my old blog was this: “Nichelle hopes for Oprah-like scratch but she is already wealthy with an abundance of friends.” I will miss my awe-inspiring friends when I leave even more than I will miss Brooklyn. Brooklyn is full of artisans, divas, evangelists, ninjas and rockstars. I am pretty sure Brooklyn is the ONLY place on the earth where a stranger would come up to me to gush that I am “twitter famous”.

I am moving to Atlanta. Am I writing a new chapter or conducting an experiment? I don’t know. I hope to carve out a niche of prosperity and creativity.

Nichelle’s Year In Review

First, I want to say that subsequent “year in reviews” will be easier thanks to Facebook Timeline, Photojo’s Time Capsule and Timehop.

GPOYM

January, I froze my ass off. There was lots of snow. I spoke at Long Island Social Media Club, and was featured in a NewsDay article about social media and business.

Blogging While Brown February Meetup
In February, I organized a Blogging While Brown Meetup at Bier International in Harlem.

Pictures from SXSW
In March, I went to SXSW with a press pass. I also was quoted in an Entrepreneur article about cupcakes.

me at tea Ritz Carlton
I went home to Atlanta for Easter, and my sister and I had tea at the Ritz Carlton in Buckhead.

Cupcake Craft Night At Etsy Labs

I organized our fourth annual Cupcake Craft Night at Etsy Labs in May. We made polymer clay jewelry and we had a big crowd. Also Rachel and I went up to Gardiner, New York to judge the Gardiner Cupcake Festival.

TECHmunch NYC photos
In June, I co-produced TECHmunch NYC with Babette Pepaj. Also, Cupcakes Take The Cake hosted our annual picnic in Central Park.

2011 Philly Vendy Awards

In July, I traveled down to Philadelphia for the Philly Vendy Awards. I had a blast! I also went to Montreal in mid-July. It was my first trip to Canada and first time using AirBnB.

@raquelita and me on a ship!
Rachel and I went on a tour of Celebrity Cruise ship, The Summit, as we doing a Cupcake Cruise in August 2012.

Thursday!
Just a photo of myself wearing blue eyeshadow in August. I also spoke at Berkeley College in downtown in late August about blogging and social media.

Bracelet Styling
I love this trio of bracelets. I also try to take more photos in natural light.

Nicole and Nichelle
I volunteered all year long doing social media for the Vendy Awards and the event was in September. Here’s a photo of me with Nicole Taylor. I also spoke at Rochester Institute of Technology at a social media conference.

Jesse Jackson Birthday Event in #Detroit
In October, I met Jesse Jackson while in Detroit visiting a cupcake bakery business, Just Baked.  I also won the Casserole Crazy Cookoff with Patrice with a winning casserole of a cheeseburger casserole.

Smuckers Socks
In November, I went to Orrville, Ohio for the Smucker’s Blogger Conference. I had so much fun, and learned a lot.
I was also in Upscale Magazine in an article about cupcakes.Me in Upscale Magazine
I was also in the November of Upscale Magazine in an article about cupcakes.

Me at the #CTTC7 Raffle
Cupcakes Take The Cake celebrated our 7th anniversary of cupcakes blogging.

This year has been challenging with two moves and two deaths of loved ones. Also, money has been tighter as I keep hustling to make ends meet. I would like a full-time job doing what I love. I would love to lose about 50 lbs. I would love to connect with a man who can I share my life with. I’m ready for 2012! It may not be better, but it will be different and new. Happy New Year!

2000 To The 9. A Personal Recap of This Year.

January
Low key New Year’s Eve. Inauguration party was fun. Was in the studio audience for Martha Stewart show.
Martha Stewart Show
February
I did a fun cupcake photo shoot with Matty Baker. I went to see Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings for Valentine’s Day.
Tub of Cupcakes

March
I went to SXSW Interactive, spoke on a panel about Finance 2.0 and organized a cupcake event in Austin.
Hanging with Babette of Bakespace
April
I volunteered at both the 99% Conference and the PSFK Conference. I was the guest speaker at a viral marketing class at FIT. Allen Salkin’s mom drew this sketch of me at his “shoulder-themed” birthday party.
Nichelle Sketch
May
I organized a really fun cupcake meetup where Bre Pettis demonstrated his Cupcake Robot.
Cupcake Social 010
June
I went to the Webutante Ball. I was quoted in the LA Times about cupcakes. Matt and I had a scone party in his backyard. Cupcakes Take The Cake has a rainy cupcake picnic at Central Park, and cupcake kebabs made by Nora Vetter made their debut.
Cupcake Kebabs
July
I competed in the 4th Annual Hot Dog Cookoff. I also went to AfroPunk Festival.
July 007
August
My friends Cat and Kap got married. Hosted the Delicious Sandwich Social with Jon Friedman. Set the world record for the longest cupcake kebab at a URDB event. I started editing Pepsi We Inspire.
me with cupcake
September
I went to cupcake tea at the Ritz Carlton. I went to the Finovate Conference.
cupcake tea at Ritz Carlton
October
I judged Emily Farris’ 5th Annual Casserole Crazy Party at Brooklyn Label. I went to a Microsoft party and I was one of the lucky people to get a Zune HD.
Me at Microsoft party
November
fbzfest 009
I went to the Foodbuzz Blogger Festival in San Francisco. My panel, “The Broke Diaries: Using Blogs And Twitter To Live Cheaply” has been selected to be a part of the 2010 SXSW Interactive Conference. Cupcakes Take The Cake was mentioned in the New York Times.
December
I went to loads of holiday parties. Cupcakes Take The Cake held its fifth anniversary party at the Roger Smith Hotel. I went up to Mount Vernon. It snowed a lot before Christmas.
cupcakes take the cake 011